Rock removal skid steer attachment

ABSTRACT

A rock removal skid steer attachment includes a connection portion that has a rear face, a lower edge, and an upper edge. The connection portion is configured for engaging a skid steer. A pair of side plates extends from the connection portion. The side plates are spaced from each other. The distal section of the side plates relative to the connection portion includes a barbed portion. Each of the side plates has a top edge and a lower edge. The top edges taper toward an associated one of the lower edges as the side plates extend away from the connection portion and towards the barbed portions. The side plates are configured to be extended into a ground surface to extract boulders from the ground surface with the barbs.

I hereby claim the benefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 119(e) of any U.S.application Ser. No. 13/030,112 filed on Feb. 17, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to rock removal devices and more particularlypertains to a new rock removal device for attachment to a skid steer tofacilitate removal of large rocks from soil and replacement of soil intothe void left by removed rocks.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising a connection portion that has a rear face, a loweredge, and an upper edge. The connection portion is configured forengaging a skid steer. A pair of side plates extends from the connectionportion. The side plates are spaced from each other. The distal sectionof the side plates relative to the connection portion includes a barbedportion. Each of the side plates has a top edge and a lower edge. Thetop edges taper toward an associated one of the lower edges as the sideplates extend away from the connection portion and towards the barbedportions. The side plates are configured to be extended into a groundsurface to extract boulders from the ground surface with the barbs.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top front side perspective view of a rock removal skid steerattachment according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through4 thereof, a new rock removal device embodying the principles andconcepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated bythe reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the rock removal skid steerattachment 10 generally comprises a connection portion 12 having a rearface 14. The connection portion 12 includes a lower edge 16 and an upperedge 18. The connection portion 12 also includes a planar section 20 anda perimeter wall 22 extending from the planar section 20. A lip 24 ispositioned at the upper edge 18 of the connection portion 12. The lip 24is configured for engaging a skid steer.

A plurality of openings 32 is positioned in the connection portion 12.Each opening 32 is positioned proximate the lower edge 16 of theconnection portion 12. Thus, the connection portion 12 is configured forsecuring to a conventional skid steer. It should be well understood tothose in the art that rear face 14, lip 24 and openings 32 form auniversal skid steer attachment which is typically used for various skidsteer attachments as a skid steer includes jaws and teeth specificallyformed for engaging these sections of the connection portion 12 and noclaim is made to these elements.

A pair of opposed side plates 36 extends from the connection portion 12.The side plates 36 are spaced from each other. Each of the side plates36 tapers extending away from the connection portion 12 towards a distalsection 38 of each side plate 36 relative to the connection portion 12.The distal section 38 of each of the side plates 36 includes a barbedportion 40. In particular, each of said side plates includes a top edge45 and a lower edge 46. The lower edge 46 is approximately straight andmay form an angle with the extension portion between 85° and 95°. Thetop edge 45 begins adjacent to the upper 18 and tapers downwardly towardthe lower edge 46 from the connection portion 12 to the barbed portion40 at which point the top edge 45 extends upwardly away from the loweredge 46 to form the barbed portion 40. The top edge 45 may be arcuatefrom the connection member 12 to the barbed portion 40. The side platesextend between 0.75 m and 2.0 m away from the connection portion. Itshould be understood that the side plates 36 are fixed and non-movablewith respect to the connection portion 12 and form the only rockengaging members of the attachment 10. In particular, no upper, movablejaw is being utilized with the side plates 36.

Each of the side plates 36 is coupled to the perimeter wall 22. Thedistal section 38 of each side plate 36 relative to the connectionportion 12 includes a terminal end 42 which is pointed and configuredfor facilitating insertion of the side plates 36 into a ground surface.Further, the side plates 36 may be planar and orientated parallel toeach other. The side plates 36 each include a proximal edge 48 relativeto the connection portion 12. The proximal edge 48 extends between theupper edge 18 of the connection portion 12 and the lower edge 16 of theconnection portion 12. Each of the side plates 36 may also extend fromthe connection portion 12 at a right angle.

A first gusset plate 50 is coupled to and extends between the sideplates 36. The first gusset plate 50 is positioned proximate the distalsection 38 of each side plate 36 relative to the connection portion 12.A bottom face 52 of the first gusset plate 50 may be coplanar with thelower edge 46 of each of the side plates 36. By pivoting of theconnection portion 12 by the skid steer, the first gusset plate 50 maybe used to refilling voids left by the removal of large rocks 56. Asecond gusset plate 58 is coupled to and extends between the side plates36. The second gusset plate 58 is positioned proximate the connectionportion 12. The second gusset plate 58 may be coplanar with the firstgusset plate 50. Further, triangular upper gussets 60 may be coupled toand extend between the perimeter wall 22 of the connection portion 12and the side plates 36. Upper gussets 60 may be coplanar with a topgusset plate 62 extending between a top 64 of each side plate 36.Triangular lower gussets 66 may be coupled to and extend between theperimeter wall 22 of the connection portion 12 and the side plates 36.The lower gussets 66 may be positioned coplanar with the second gussetplate 58.

A third gusset plate 68 may be coupled to and extend between the sideplates 36. The third gusset plate 68 is positioned between the firstgusset plate 50 and the second gusset plate 58 proximate a middle 70 ofeach side plate 36. The third gusset plate 68 may be angled to extendupwardly from a forward edge 72 of the third gusset plate 68 towards theconnection portion 12. This angling provides additional structuralsupport and integrity to the side plates 36 during use. An additionalfourth gusset plate 76 may be positioned transversely relative to thefirst gusset plate 50 and the second gusset plate 58 proximate theconnection portion 12.

In use, the connection portion 12 is attached to the skid steer. Bypivoting of the connection portion 12 and locomotion of the skid steer,the side plates 36 may be manipulated to pry loose and lift large rocksin the ground. The barbed portion 40 prevents the large rocks fromsliding off of the distal section 38 of the side plates 36 once the rockis positioned on a cradling portion 74 of the side plates 36. Further,the barbed portion 40 may be used to snag edges of large embedded rocksto facilitate prying and removal. After the rock has been removed,further manipulation of the connection portion 12 and the skid steerpermit use of the first gusset plate 50 to refill voids left by theremoval of the rock in similar fashion to using a hoe.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Areference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless thecontext clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

I claim:
 1. A rock removal skid steer attachment comprising: aconnection portion having a rear face, a lower edge, and an upper edge,said connection portion being configured for engaging a skid steer; anda pair of side plates extending from said connection portion, said sideplates being spaced from each other, each of said side plates includinga distal section relative to said connection portion, said distalsection of each of said side plates having a barbed portion, each ofsaid side plates having a top edge and a lower edge, each of said topedges tapering toward an associated one of said lower edges as said sideplates extend away from said connection portion towards said barbedportions, wherein said side plates are configured to support a bouldersuch that the boulder is positioned between said side plates and belowsaid top edges; and wherein said side plates are configured to beextended into a ground surface to extract boulders from the groundsurface with said barbed portions.
 2. The attachment of claim 1, furtherwherein said distal section of each said side plate relative to saidconnection portion including a pointed terminal end configured forfacilitating insertion of said side plates into the ground surface. 3.The attachment of claim 1, further including said lower edge of eachsaid side plate being straight.
 4. The attachment of claim 1, furtherincluding said side plates being planar and parallel to each other. 5.The attachment of claim 1, wherein said side plates each having aproximal edge relative to said connection portion, said proximal edgeextending between said upper edge of said connection portion and saidlower edge of said connection portion.
 6. The attachment of claim 5,wherein each of said side plates extends from said connection portion ata right angle.
 7. The attachment of claim 1, further including a gussetplate coupled to and extending between said side plates.
 8. Theattachment of claim 1, further including said connection portion havinga planar section and a perimeter wall extending from said planarsection.
 9. The attachment of claim 8, wherein each of said side platesis coupled to said perimeter wall.
 10. A rock removal skid steerattachment comprising: a connection portion having a rear face, a loweredge, and an upper edge, said connection portion being configured forengaging a skid steer; and a pair of side plates extending from saidconnection portion, said side plates being spaced from each other, eachof said side plates including a distal section relative to saidconnection portion, said distal section of each of said side plateshaving a barbed portion, each of said side plates having a top edge anda lower edge, each of said top edges tapering toward an associated oneof said lower edges as said side plates extend away from said connectionportion towards said barbed portion, wherein said side plates areconfigured to be extended into a ground surface to extract boulders fromthe ground surface with said barbed portions, wherein said side platesare configured to support a boulder such that the boulder is positionedbetween said side plates and such that a portion of the bolder extendsbelow said top edges; said distal section of each said side platerelative to said connection portion including a pointed terminal endconfigured for facilitating insertion of said side plates into theground surface, said lower edge of each said side plate being straight,said side plates being planar and parallel to each other, said sideplates each having a proximal edge relative to said connection portion,each of said side plates extends from said connection portion at a rightangle.